The only exceptions had been Alexa and Jaeden. Alexa wasn’t budging, but Lucien noticed the difference in Jae as she stood with her mate.
Ryder nudged Jaeden toward him. “Jaeden has something to tell you.” He looked at her sternly. Lucien watched in bemusement as Jae glowered at her mate.
“You don’t have to shove me forward like an errant child,” she huffed.
“Jaeden,” Ryder warned.
The look in his eyes abruptly caused Lucien to tense. Ryder was serious, which meant this was serious. He scowled. “What’s going on?”
The trembling of Jae’s lip sent his heart into overdrive. Okay, if Jae was afraid to tell him, then this was really serious. “Lucien.” And then she looked up at the pack gathered around the table. “Everybody. I did something. Reuben—”
“NO!” Alexa cried shrilly, leaping to her feet, knocking her chair to the floor with a loud clatter. “Don’t you dare!”
What the Hades was going on?
Lucien stood slowly, emitting mega Alpha vibes. Alexa faltered. “I want to know exactly what you’ve done and why Alexa doesn’t want me to know about it.”
Jaeden nodded quickly and leaned back into Ryder for support. “Caia didn’t leave by choice.”
Her words turned to a panic that gripped his chest, and he grabbed hold of the back of his chair, curling his fingers around it. He had a very, very bad feeling about this.
Alexa was yelling again, her face mottled with fury. “NO! Jaeden! You st—”
“YOU!” Lucien roared, interrupting her. “Shut up!”
The tension in the room intensified, seizing the entire pack. Only Magnus had the courage to speak up. “Jaeden, get to the point,” he bit out.
“Reuben blackmailed Caia into killing the Septum.”
The air rushed out of Lucien’s lungs as emotion took hold of him—that under the skin, brain-buzzing, won’t let go of your body kind of rage. “Explain.” His lykan overpowered his vocal cords. The hush continued among his pack.
Jaeden was trembling again, but distractedly, he admired the way she stood her ground and met his eyes. “Reuben told Caia he wouldn’t give us refuge and mask our trace unless she killed the Septum, and Alexa and I didn’t stop him. In fact, we encouraged him.”
Oh gods. He dropped back into his chair and groaned into his hands. He felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder, trying to offer comfort. But no one could give him that. He’d kicked his mate out of his pack when all she’d been trying to do was protect them … protect them when he should have been!
He roared, seeing only red as he stood and threw his chair across the room. It shattered against the wall. “Where is she?” he demanded, spinning back on Jae who had paled considerably.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Lucien, I am so sorry. I feel terrible. Caia promised me not to tell you the truth, and I was just so angry, I wanted revenge and I couldn’t see past i—”
“Enough!” he ordered. He didn’t want to hear her excuses. Hers or Alexa’s. Gaia, he could barely look at the two of them. “You had weeks to tell me this—”
Ryder stepped forward, looking wary but determined. “She’s telling you now. Caia was the one who didn’t tell you, man.”
“Because she knew I would stop her, and the pack would be without protection!”
“I’m just saying—”
“Save it! I don’t want your excuses for your mate’s behavior. Alexa and Jaeden are now under house arrest. No runs, no dining with the pack. They’ll be locked in their rooms and their meals will be brought to them.”
Jaeden nodded but Ryder scowled. “For how long?”
“For as long as I need them out of my sight,” Lucien spat. He cursed, trying to think. Having no idea where Caia could be wasn’t giving him much to act on. But he wanted her back with the pack, even if it meant they didn’t have Reuben’s protection. She was his pack, and he should’ve been protecting her all along.
He ripped his cell phone out of his pocket and searched his contacts for Reuben. His whole body trembled as he pressed the call button.
“We’re sorry, this number is not in service.”
Lucien paled. The son of a bitch had disconnected his phone! The pack looked around at one another grimly, having heard the misdial message with their lykan hearing.
“Lucien.” Magnus stood as the pack stared at their Alpha, apprehensively awaiting the next explosion. “You couldn’t have known.”
That wasn’t an excuse. There wasn’t an excuse. He had acted like a faithless fool.
He curled his lip in self-directed derision. “I should have. I should have trusted that Caia doesn’t have the soul to kill seven innocent people unless under extreme duress. Like a true Alpha, she did it to protect her pack … while I let that slimy bastard walk out of here with her without a fight.”
“Lucien—” Rose spoke up but he shook her off with a glare. He didn’t want anyone’s reassurances. He didn’t deserve them.